Airway to Classroom

USAF-525 Airway to Classroom didn't come to create another training program. They came to solve a talent utilization problem—when airmen with Community College of the Air Force Instructor Certificates (CCAFIC) can't effectively transition their military expertise into educational careers, both the military and civilian sectors lose valuable instructional capacity.

What's At Stake

Thousands of airmen hold CCAFIC credentials but lack clear pathways to leverage their military training experience in civilian educational roles. This represents untapped human capital—skilled professionals who could strengthen both military training programs and civilian workforce development. Without effective transition mechanisms, experienced military instructors either remain underutilized or struggle to translate their capabilities into post-service careers.

Mountain Home Field Training Access

Led by Roger John Rolander, USAF-525 Airway to Classroom traveled to Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho to engage directly with 20-30 CCAFIC holders during a field training detachment. This concentrated access allowed the team to gather insights from current airmen about their certification experiences and career transition challenges.

The face-to-face conversations revealed how airmen perceive the value of their instructor credentials and what barriers prevent them from effectively marketing these skills to civilian educational institutions. These interactions provided real-time feedback on their wireframe solution and helped identify the most critical features for their platform.

Pathway Development Platform

USAF-525 Airway to Classroom developed a solution that helps CCAFIC-certified airmen understand and communicate the civilian value of their military instructional experience. Their platform focuses on translating military training credentials into language that civilian educational employers can understand and value.

The Mountain Home engagement validated their approach while revealing specific pain points in the military-to-civilian education transition process that their platform needed to address.

Operators of Another Kind

Roger John Rolander, leading the effort from Indiana University, brought educational systems expertise to military career transition challenges. Working alongside teammates Maya Murthy, Chris Mathew, Deven Arora, and Josh Stolz, the team combined platform development with direct engagement from CCAFIC-certified airmen.

What Comes Next

USAF-525 Airway to Classroom continues developing their transition platform based on feedback from Mountain Home airmen, with ongoing validation from military education stakeholders. Their solution addresses the gap between military instructional expertise and civilian educational opportunities.

They didn't just study career transitions. They built bridges between military expertise and civilian education.